O Prego da Peixaria

More than your skill in putting it together, in Lisbon residents’ favourite sandwich the most important thing is choosing and cooking the ingredients – and having some items prepared beforehand. The fried onion, although it can be bought ready made, can also be made at home, with the onion cut into small pieces, sprinkled with flour and then fried briefly in oil in small amounts at a time so as not to burn. To mix the garlic and parsley butter, make a paste of garlic, parsley and olive oil before mixing it with solid butter. As for the prego itself, the meat must be sirloin steak, seasoned only with salt and cooked on a griddle or in a frying pan with very little fat – just a dash of olive oil, wiped round with a napkin to spread it. After it is cooked on one side, turn it over and lay on the cooked side two or three slices of the cheese. Separately, warm the bolo do caco in a dry frying pan or in a toaster. To put the whole thing together, the bottom half of the bun is spread with the garlic and parslet butter, on this is place the meat with melted cheese on top, and then the fried onion, julienned iceberg lettuce and finally the other half of the bread, also spread with the butter.